On this week’s episode of the Seekers of Meaning TV Show and Podcast, Rabbi Address speaks with Dr. Benjamin Corn, the founding director of the Institute for the Study of Hope, Dignity, and Well-being. They explore the concept of hope, its components, and how it can be cultivated as a skill. Dr. Corn discusses the importance of hope in various contexts, including personal health, community engagement, and spirituality. The conversation also touches on the role of family and cultural influences on hope, as well as the institute’s efforts to expand its reach and impact.

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Benjamin W. Corn MD, FASTRO is a professor of oncology at the Hebrew University School of Medicine and deputy director of the Shaare Zedek Cancer Center in Jerusalem.

He is the chair of Life’s Door (LD), an NGO co-founded with Dvora Corn and committed to addressing the emotional needs of patients diagnosed with cancer, as well as the family members and professionals who care for them. During the past decade, the organisation has turned its attention towards using hopefulness as a tool to help these respective stakeholders, and LD currently oversees programmes that are accessed by more than 10,000 people annually.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisation trained approximately 900 volunteers to use hope enhancement techniques in the context of a telephone campaign (Hope Responders) to mitigate loneliness among the elderly. The organisation has also been systematically expanding its reach to apply these techniques to other populations, including dialysis-dependent individuals, those suffering from Parkinson’s Disease, and even those diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment ((MCI) – which was previously referred to as “early dementia”).

At the Shaare Zedek Cancer Center, the organisation has developed a partnership with Professor Amir Amedi of Reichman University to create an immersive sensory environment in the simulation suite (the site of first patient contact with ionising radiation) to mitigate stress and anxiety. Plans are in place to extend the immersive experience to the treatment rooms, waiting areas and staff lounges.

Ben, who has authored more than 250 articles/chapters/reviews in the medical literature, is the principal investigator of the NCI-sponsored trial (NRG CC003), designed to determine whether the hippocampus constitutes a CNS centre for hopefulness. For the above efforts, Dr Corn received the National Citation for Volunteerism by Israeli President Shimon Peres in 2012, and he was the recipient of the 2021 Humanitarian Award by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

The post Cultivating Hope: Insights from Dr. Benjamin Corn – Seekers of Meaning 12/12/2025 appeared first on Jewish Sacred Aging.